


The Green Arrow Returns

by ArlyssTolero



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batwoman (TV 2019), Black Lightning (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArlyssTolero/pseuds/ArlyssTolero
Summary: After waking up at an A.R.G.U.S. facility following his battle with the Anti-Monitor, Oliver returns to Star City to discover that his son has been kidnapped by human trafficker John Byrne in an effort to avenge his years in prison at the hands of the Green Arrow. In a world where Felicity Smoak never existed, Oliver reconnects with former flame, Laurel Lance, before being confronted by an unexpected person over his change in M.O. that has left the city's vulnerable citizens to be victimized by those who hide behind the law. This leads Oliver to a decision that will shake the foundations of those who have been inspired by him and put him at odds with members of the newly-formed Justice League.
Relationships: Justice League & Oliver Queen, Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	The Green Arrow Returns

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Arrow.
> 
> A/N: Okay, so while I have plans for an in-depth rewrite of this story (which I’ve turned into a long-shot like I did “Black Siren: Redemption”), I felt the need to post it after a visit to the Arrow sub-reddit. For those who want to know what was there that brought this about, I saw someone acting like E-2 Laurel is Earth-Prime Laurel and that just pissed me off along with the fact that, for whatever reason, the Arrowverse writers seem to think that Oliver and Sara, as The Spectre and the Paragon of Destiny, would decide to preserve Earth-2 Laurel over the Laurel that they grew up with in this new universe. What. The. Fuck?
> 
> So, this story was originally written I think maybe a month following the Season 8 finale, which I found insulting in the extreme as one of the very few (according to Wikipedia the finale saw less than a million live/Tweeting viewers) who has watched “Arrow” from “Pilot” to “Fadeout”. I’ll be honest: I take aim at what I see as the hypocritical self-righteousness of certain heroes in this story to the point that some might feel it is against these heroes. Like I said, I plan on doing a longer, in-depth rewrite of this story at a later date. This story was written in a reactionary fashion and reflects that in it’s nature.
> 
> Some characters appear but do not speak. But because they appear, they've been tagged.

Oliver Queen shot up in the hospital bed, turning and leaning over the side as he dry-heaved from the images still coursing through his mind. Oliver slid off the edge of the bed and made his way unsteadily to the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face with shaky hands. Images and memories of a timeline that had been and may yet be continued to course through his mind. The last thing he remembered was his final words to Sara and Barry as he lay dying at the beginning of time, even as a new universe began above them. He remembered pouring everything that he had into focusing on what he hoped this new universe would bring to his family, his friends, and his city.

Oliver slowly made it back into the main room, heading to the window to see if he could ascertain where he was. His eyes narrowed as he realized the ‘window’ was actually a flatscreen portraying a view of the skyline of Central City. He turned to face the entrance to the room and found a familiar figure standing there. “You,” he said, eyes narrowing.

“Me,” Amanda Waller agreed. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Queen. Imagine my surprise when my agents revealed that you were found on Lian Yu, thousands of miles from the confrontation the other heroes had with the Anti-Monitor, a confrontation that presumably led to your demise. Care to explain how that’s possible?”

“Magic,” Oliver replied dryly, which technically was true. Lian Yu was a mystical convergence. He supposed it was better that he had ended up there rather than Nanda Parbat. If Waller was alive, for all he knew it meant that so was Ra’s. Waller had narrowed her eyes at the one-word answer, but Oliver met her gaze without flinching. After everything he had done, everyone he had faced down and defeated, including the Anti-Monitor, Amanda Waller was simply not as scary as she once did to him. “You didn’t bring me to an A.R.G.U.S. facility out of the good of your heart, Amanda. What do you want?”

“The world considers you dead,” Waller replied.

“And you want your indentured servant back,” Oliver deduced. “Pass.”

“You act as if you have a choice,” Waller said.

“You act as if you can keep me locked away in here,” Oliver replied. “We both know what it is I’m capable of, and what I’ll do to you and your sycophants if you stand between me and those I love. You may be a sociopathic bitch, but can you say that for everyone in your employ?” Waller’s eyes narrowed again. “I’m leaving as soon as I have some clothes, or even without that if you decide to stand in my way. It’s your move, Waller.”

Waller was silent for over a minute as she calculated every possible angle and concluded that, yes, her former asset could and would escape. “Then it seems we had better get you some clothes,” Waller said, turning on her heel. Oliver followed, still suspicious while also examining the other memories that had surfaced in his mind, the memories of this new Earth that he and the others had given birth to.

Dinah Drake didn’t seem to exist; instead Sara had originally called herself Black Canary before passing the mantle onto Laurel, who _still_ held it. Oliver’s heart sang with joy that Laurel was still alive on this Earth. Apparently, she and Oliver had an on-again, off-again relationship even now, and that led to something that troubled him.

Felicity Smoak also didn’t seem to exist. Oliver had never met her in this world and as the C.E.O. of Queen Consolidated he not only knew his employees, but also knew his business rivals, and there was no Felicity Smoak in I.T., Applied Sciences, or as the C.E.O. of her own tech company. This meant that Oliver’s daughter also didn’t exist in this world, but he focused on discovering more about this new world in his memories. He would mourn the loss of Mia and his relationship with Felicity later, when he had time to do it.

While he was considered the first human hero, in part because he had revealed his true identity unlike Gotham’s Batman (and in this world Batman appeared to still be active), the first hero in this world had been Superman. That had startled Oliver; this implied that he and the others had combined at least two separate universes together to form this new universe. Superman had helped out in the aftermath of the Undertaking and been there to help during the Siege, saving the lives of people who might’ve otherwise died.

Samantha Clayton was still alive and had custody of their son; she and William lived in Central City and Oliver visited them on occasion while also paying child support (not to mention making sure William got into the best schools available).

His mother was still alive but serving a life sentence in Slabside for her role in the Undertaking. Emiko was still with the Ninth Circle and an ever-present threat. With their mother alive, the battle for Thea’s soul in his third and fourth years as a vigilante had been won by a mother’s love early on. It helped that Oliver had captured Merlyn and turned him over to the authorities in this timeline. Merlyn was locked away in a secret prison (possibly even the one on Lian Yu), along with other villains, including Slade Wilson, who had not regained his sanity in this world, mainly because there had been no cure for the Mirakuru this time since Felicity had been the point of contact with S.T.A.R. Labs and that hadn’t been an option. Superman had helped to rescue Laurel and Oliver had prepared accordingly for his confrontation with Slade.

It wasn’t a perfect world, Oliver reflected, but then again, what was?

**_*DC*_ **

Laurel Lance had one arm wrapped around Samantha Clayton’s shoulders as she, Samantha, John, Rene, Curtis, Sara, Barry, and Kara gathered around the computers, trying to locate William, who had been kidnapped from Central City by someone looking to get revenge on Oliver, on the Green Arrow, for his imprisonment. Samantha had given enough to Barry to create a sketch and they had found the person in question was John Byrne, a human trafficker that Oliver had taken down during his year as The Hood and one of the _many_ people he had spared the life of; Laurel honestly didn’t understand the people who insisted Oliver had been a monster during his first year, in either world. Her memories from both words showed an Oliver who knew exactly what he was doing and who provided all the evidence she or the D.A. could ever ask for to convict. The only times he seemed to have slipped was when he came up against someone truly heinous, like Justin Claybourne or Leo Mueller.

Crime might be at an all-time low right now, Laurel knew, but she doubted it would remain that way. Evil never ends, it just changes form. Fighting alongside Oliver in both worlds had given her that knowledge, and she wouldn’t let herself forget it because things seemed so good right now. She knew John and Lyla were planning to move to Metropolis for the safety of it being protected by Superman as much as for Lyla’s new job, Rene was planning a mayoral run, and Curtis had his company to run. That left the city all but defenseless, but Laurel would be _damned_ if she let the city return to the cesspit it had been seven and a half years ago, when Oliver had begun his crusade on both worlds.

The sound of the elevator descending caught Laurel’s attention and she turned, as did the others, as the elevator doors opened. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the man walking out of the elevator. She heard noises from the others ranging from gasps of shock to sighs of relief.

Oliver Queen raised an eyebrow and said, “Sadly, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. The hard-ass is still here.”

The first to reach Oliver thanks to their super-speed were Kara and Barry, though everyone else was trying to descend from the platform as fast as they could.

“We thought you were dead,” Barry said, pulling his friend into a hug. Kara’s eyes were wet with unshed tears as she looked at the man who had not only given up his life for her and Barry, certain as he was that they would be the ones to stop the Crisis, but also given up his life to save over a billion people from her Earth during the evacuation of Earth-38 to Earth-1. She pulled him into her own hug, ignoring his sigh of irritation.

“I ended up on Lian Yu,” Oliver said by way of explanation. “A.R.G.U.S. found me and I had to _negotiate_ my way to freedom since Amanda Waller was intent on me becoming her indentured servant again.”

“Man, I can’t believe she and Ra’s are alive again,” Diggle muttered even as he pulled Oliver into a brotherly hug.

“Let’s just be glad that Ra’s is fixated on Batman and not me in this new world,” Oliver said with a tired smile.

“Kate got in contact with us, she woke up where she used to train,” Sara said as she hugged Oliver as well. “She’s back in Gotham and has talked her cousin into letting her help. From the sound of it, he’s actually worse than a certain archer in the categories of brooding and accepting help.”

“Sounds like the perfect kind of mentor,” Oliver said blandly. Sara rolled her eyes as Curtis shook Oliver’s hand followed by Rene. Oliver’s gaze went to the last two people in the room. “Samantha,” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here?” He looked around, eyes narrowing in suspicion even as his stomach curdled in dread. “Where’s William?”

“He was kidnapped, Ollie,” Laurel answered for Samantha, who was still staring at Oliver in shock. “John Byrne was recently paroled and wants revenge. Since he couldn’t get to you…”

“He goes after my son,” Oliver finished grimly. “The downside to being the only hero who’s identity is known.” That was another change; in this world, Oliver had revealed his identity to the world in order to testify against Ricardo Diaz, who’s lawyer was smarter than your average bootlicker and had pointed out that the ‘apprehending officer’ was a vigilante whose identity was unknown and Diaz had the right to face his accuser. Unwilling to let Diaz back on the streets with his designer drugs, designer weapons, and fingers dipped into nearly every criminal enterprise in the city, Oliver had unmasked in a session of the court. By then, the Dominator invasion had happened and both Green Arrow and Black Canary had received pardons for their criminal actions. After the Dominator invasion they had been hailed as heroes. “Any leads?”

“We’re searching for possible locations now,” Laurel said quietly.

“I already know where he’s taking William,” Oliver replied. “People like Byrne are predictable. They want to wipe the slate clean when they start again. He can only do that in the place where it all ended for him. The place I took him down.”

“On it,” Curtis said, rushing to the computers. The others followed at a more sedate pace behind Oliver, who admittedly didn’t remember the exact location he had taken Byrne down at (it had been one takedown over seven years ago). It didn’t take long for Curtis to access S.C.P.D. records and establish when and where John Byrne had been apprehended. “Got the location.”

“I’ll call Thea and Roy,” Laurel said quietly. “They’re at the Queen Mansion with the police, just in case a ransom call is made,” she added, seeing Oliver’s confused expression. Oliver nodded at that and she stepped away to make the call (and to no doubt tell them that Oliver was alive, after all). Oliver, meanwhile, took note that his uniform was gone. Well, that was alright; he had others, and to be honest he hadn’t liked the uniform from Earth-2’s Green Arrow. He preferred his old Hood uniform or the one he’d worn for years five through seven of his journey as a hero.

Oliver turned to see the others looking at him expectantly. His lips quirked as he said, “Suit up.”

**_*DC*_ **

The Green Arrow stood with the other heroes who had joined him outside of the building where his son had been taken by the convicted human trafficker, John Byrne. The Flash, Supergirl, Black Canary, Spartan, Arsenal, Speedy, and White Canary were all looking at the rather foreboding structure. “ **Supergirl, give it a look, make sure there’s no traps,** ” Green Arrow requested of their Kryptonian ally. Supergirl did as requested, examining the building with her X-Ray Vision.

“Byrne’s got at least ten guys on each floor, all armed with automatics, and he’s taking William towards the roof,” Supergirl reported.

Green Arrow was silent, examining the situation objectively. “ **White Canary, Arsenal, Speedy, Spartan, and Black Canary will join me in clearing out the floors. Supergirl, I want you high in the sky keeping an eye on Byrne, If he moves to hurt William, I want you to intervene. Flash, when I signal you, you come in and get William away from Byrne.** ” Supergirl and Flash made gestures of assent as Green Arrow led the other heroes towards the building. Green Arrow reflected that this would be the last time he led such an expanded team but found that in some ways that that was a relief. No doubt Black Canary would insist on continuing to fight by his side, and from his memories about her on this new Earth, he didn’t need to worry about her as much as he had before.

As they approached the door, Black Canary unleashed her sonic scream, blasting the doors off of their hinges and sending them tumbling end over end into the building, where they pinned three of the men stationed on the first floor. The group entered the building, splitting up as they entered: Arsenal and Speedy went one way while White Canary and Spartan went another, leaving Green Arrow and Black Canary with the fun bit, taking the path straight down the devil’s throat, as it were. Green Arrow fired a bolo arrow as a man came around a corner with an automatic, trapping the man who Black Canary struck with the bo staff she had learned how to fight with from Sara.

With a surplus of allies to face off with Byrne’s men, Green Arrow made it to the roof of the building where Byrne was guiding a struggling William towards the edge of the roof. “ **John Byrne,** ” Green Arrow called out, an arrow already nocked and aiming. “ **Kidnapping a child after barely being paroled? Doesn’t look good for your future.** ”

“I don’t have a future, thanks to you, Queen!” Byrne snarled, keeping the revolver in his hand pressed against William’s back. William was staring wide-eyed at his clearly-alive father, while Byrne had taken the Green Arrow’s presence in stride, even seemed almost gratified to know he was still alive. Perhaps in Byrne’s twisted and demented mindset, having Green Arrow here when he tried to kill the hero’s son was some kind of wish fulfillment. “Best I can do is kill your future!”

“ **Now, Flash,** ” Green Arrow said softly. A moment later, The Flash had zipped onto the roof and retrieved William, racing him back to the Bunker and the waiting arms of his mother even as Green Arrow fired the bolo arrow he had prepared and wrapped John Byrne up tightly. Green Arrow approached the bound man and looked down on him. “ **You had a second chance and you squandered it,** ” Green Arrow said softly. “ **May others learn from your example.** ” Green Arrow knocked him out as Supergirl floated down. “ **Supergirl, would you mind depositing him with the S.C.P.D.?** ”

“On it,” Supergirl said cheerfully. “See you back at the Bunker.”

Green Arrow turned and looked at the others. “ **Time to leave,** ” he said.

**_*DC*_ **

Back at the Bunker, Oliver changed back into the clothes he had liberated from an A.R.G.U.S. locker and went to see his son. William, seeing his father approaching, rushed towards him, and Oliver caught his son in his arms, feeling William’s tears soaking his shirt. “They said you were dead, that you died saving the world,” William mumbled into Oliver’s chest.

“Not quite there yet, buddy,” Oliver said, ruffling his son’s hair and placing his hands onto William’s shoulders, pulling the boy away from him slightly. “It seems it takes a lot to kill me. I’m sorry that you thought I was dead. Unfortunately, I ended up somewhere else, and, well… it took some time to get back. But as long as I’m alive, I will _always_ be here if you need me.” Oliver smiled softly as William hugged him again, and one arm came up to pat his son on the back. “I know, buddy,” Oliver said softly. “I love you, too.”

Eventually, William returned to his mother’s arms, and Samantha mouthed a ‘thank you’ at Oliver, who nodded. “It’s the least I can do, Samantha,” Oliver said. “But I think it’s time we consider maybe moving you elsewhere, with a name change.” Samantha grimaced, but nodded. On this new Earth, Oliver’s memories revealed, there had been no grand finale on Lian Yu with Adrian Chase; without Talia to drive him, Adrian had been unable to conceive and carry out a plan that would put Star City or those Oliver cared about in danger. Due to the fact that he was criminally insane and a clear and present danger to the populace, Adrian had been sent to Arkham Asylum in Gotham. 

“In other news,” Curtis said from his spot at the computers, “the confrontation was caught by a news chopper and people are already asking if Oliver’s alive. We should probably get ahead of the press.” Oliver grimaced, but nodded; Laurel slipped away to call her father, who was the mayor. Quentin would handle bringing to the press to bear, all Oliver would have to do was show up and answer questions.

**_*DC*_ **

“I have _not_ missed the press,” Oliver grumbled as he entered the Queen Mansion, only minutely taking notice of the fact that he hadn’t been here for years unless you counted his visit to Earth-2 (which he didn’t). “They’re still as vile and snippy as ever.”

“I think you handled them well, Ollie,” Thea said with a smirk. Oliver’s ‘handling’ of the press had included one of his dark glowering looks when one reporter had asked him if he had faked his death but come back because he missed the spotlight. Thea and Roy were living at the Queen Mansion with Oliver; in fact, Roy had just asked Thea to marry him, and she had said yes, so Oliver’s sister was sporting a special bit of jewelry.

“It could’ve been worse,” Roy said with a shrug. When the Queen siblings looked at him, he said, “Your other sister could’ve sent some friends to the party.”

“Yes, that _is_ something to keep an eye out for,” Oliver said with a grimace. In truth, he felt Emiko’s redemption on Earth-1 had been a little too quick, and here on Earth-Prime (as Barry had let him know they had named the new world) it was obvious she hadn’t been reachable despite the same circumstances (almost) presenting themselves. So, his half-sister remained a shadow in the dark, ready to strike at Oliver and all those he cared for. “Crime might be low or non-existent in Star City right now, but that could change if the Ninth Circle digs their hands in again.”

“And they probably will,” Thea said with a sigh. Oliver and Roy nodded in agreement. “Well, until then, we just need to celebrate that we’re all alive and that we beat the biggest threat in our history.” Roy chuckled and Oliver smiled at his sister’s comment, but it was tinged with thoughtfulness. “Ollie, I know that look,” Thea said. “What’s up?”

“Just… thinking of the Dominators, from Earth-1,” Oliver said as his smile faded slightly. “What they showed us.” Thea looked down, remembering the fantasy world that she had nearly stayed in. “There’s not a day that’s gone by since Laurel died that I haven’t wanted to tell her she was wrong, but now that I can, I feel like I should stay away, like all I’ll do is destroy her all over again.”

“You’re not a bad guy, Ollie,” Thea said, turning to face her brother, hazel eyes meeting his blue ones challengingly. “You haven’t destroyed us. Not in our new world, and not on our old one. What destroyed us was the way we let ourselves be separated by people with their own agendas.” Thea hesitated slightly. “Which, I hate to say it, included Dig and Felicity. The way they treated you, the way they treated your relationships with Laurel, with Sara, that wasn’t right. I only see it in hindsight. Wish I’d realized this all the way back then.” Thea sighed. “Guess it’s a good thing that Dig’s moving to Metropolis and Felicity doesn’t exist.”

Oliver grimaced. “I don’t know if I agree with you, Speedy,” Oliver said quietly.

“Thea’s right, Oliver,” Roy said. “I didn’t say anything cuz I was the new guy, but the way Diggle and Felicity treated you wasn’t right. But I figured it wasn’t my place to say anything since I was the junior member of the team. Everything you did, you did for the good of the city, even if it meant sacrificing your relationships with the people you cared about. You were never just a vigilante, even on Earth-1. You were, and always have been, a hero. Maybe not the kind Barry is but Star City doesn’t need heroes like Barry and Kara. It needs heroes who understand the gritty reality of living in the city that gave birth to men like Merlyn.”

Oliver whistled. “Why don’t you tell us how you really feel, Roy?” Oliver asked with a smirk. Roy flushed but tilted his head to meet Oliver’s gaze evenly. “Alright, I can see you both think this way.” Oliver turned to face the front door of the mansion again. “I think I’ll take a ride back into the city before I lose my nerve.”

“Laurel’ll probably be patrolling in the Glades,” Thea said helpfully as her brother walked out.

**_*DC*_ **

Green Arrow found Black Canary quickly enough; she was defending a waitress from Big Belly Burger from a gang of miscreants and doing a fine job of tuning them up. When one of them looked about to get the drop on her, Green Arrow hit him with a boxing glove arrow (an arrow where the arrowhead was replaced with a little metal fist), which took him down for the count. He jumped down from the low roof he had been perched on and landed lightly on a dumpster as Black Canary knocked the last thug out.

“Th-thank you,” the waitress said, making her way out of the alley.

“ _Didn’t expect you to be out patrolling so soon,_ ” Black Canary said as she met Green Arrow. Despite the fact that both of their identities had been made known to the public, they still made use of their masks and voice changers as part of their method to frighten the more simple-minded criminals.

“ **I had something I needed to talk to you about, decided to do it before I lost my nerve,** ” Green Arrow replied with a shrug. “ **Care for a lift?** ” He gestured at the higher rooftops surrounding them. Black Canary answered by stepping closer to him. He fired a grappling arrow and pulled her close. The two were pulled away from the scene even as a squad car pulled up.

On the roof, Green Arrow walked towards the center of the roof before pulling his hood back and his mask down to reveal the face of Oliver Queen. He turned as Black Canary peeled her own mask away, revealing the features of Dinah Laurel Lance. “What did you need to talk to me about?” Laurel asked.

“Memories from Earth-1,” Oliver replied. “Specifically, our last conversation. Do you remember?”

“I do,” Laurel said quietly. “I heard you found someone.”

“I was never able to really see them as Black Canary,” Oliver said softly, “but that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about what happened before that. Do you remember what you told me?”

“I told you that I was happy that you found Felicity and that I hoped you would find your way back to her,” Laurel remembered, grimacing and wondering if this was going to be about their on and off relationship status on Earth-Prime.

“You also said that while you weren’t the love of my life, I would always be the love of yours,” Oliver said, his throat tightening as he remembered Laurel, her voice still weak from the surgery and pain meds, telling him that. He hadn’t known just how much he had fooled her, fooled _everyone_ , until that moment. Did she not realize, he had thought, how important she was to him? “Is that still how you feel?”

“Yes, Ollie,” Laurel said quietly. “I know you don’t feel the same way, and that you’re mourning Felicity, but I won’t lie. I still love you.”

Oliver approached her and cupped her chin with his right hand. “Do you know how I felt when I heard you say those words?” he asked her quietly, his blue eyes staring down into her green eyes. “Do you know how hard it was for me to know that I had so successfully fooled everyone that even those closest to me could never see the truth even though I’d only been perpetuating the deception I had for two years?”

“What are you talking about?” Laurel asked quietly, her pulse quickening even as she tried to keep herself calm and collected.

“After the Siege, I came to realize that my past could always return to haunt me, and that my enemies would always find a way to discover my identity, and thus find a way to target my weaknesses, my vulnerabilities,” Oliver said quietly. “So I set about to make sure that the one person that I couldn’t live without was protected, even though it hurt me to push her away. But I never thought you would truly believe my deceptions. Laurel, when Felicity was in surgeries, where was I?”

“You were out hunting Darhk,” Laurel said.

“That should’ve provided you will the proof that you ever needed that I was lying,” Oliver said quietly. “If I truly loved Felicity the way that I claimed, I would’ve been by her side, the way I was by yours. You were wrong that night; you, Dinah Laurel Lance, are the love of my life. You have been for so long… losing you was like losing a piece of my soul. I felt as if I had been ripped in two. I have a second chance now, and I’m not going to waste it.” Oliver leaned down, and his lips met Laurel’s in a soft kiss that grew increasingly fierce. Oliver’s arms wrapped around Laurel’s leather-clad torso, pulling her closer to him, and while one of her arms circled around his waist, another went upwards, her slender hand curling through his hair as she leaned into his embrace, one leg rising from the ground at an angle.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver returned to the Queen Mansion with a smile on his face, a smile that faded as he saw a black SUV with government plates waiting outside. Entering the mansion, Oliver found A.R.G.U.S. agents stationed outside of the sitting room. Entering said room, he found Amanda Waller waiting for him. “I thought I made myself clear,” Oliver said as he came to stand opposite her. “I don’t work for you, and I never will again.”

“Oh, you have certainly made yourself clear, Mr. Queen, but I wonder if you realize what has been happening since the revelation of your miraculous return,” Amanda replied. Oliver’s brow furrowed; it had been only a few hours since the press conference. What could’ve happened. “I came here as a courtesy to inform you that most are purporting you to be the leader of Earth’s mightiest heroes. A far cry from the man who was fighting for those oppressed by the wealthy and powerful. Whatever happened to that man?”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed. “You could’ve done this with a phone call. What’s your angle?”

“The Oliver Queen I knew was a man who took justice into his own hands and didn’t apologize for it, who didn’t let himself be shackled as he worked to do what was right for his city,” Waller replied. “There is a reason I am always seeking your return to A.R.G.U.S., Oliver. You were the perfect asset to showcase to my superiors. Now they are seeing you in the same light they see Superman and The Flash. But we both know that’s not who you are on the inside.” Waller pulled a flash drive from her pocket. “A little gift, from someone who remembers you at your best.” Oliver slowly reached out and took it, and Waller left the room, Oliver staring down at the flash drive.

Retreating to his study, Oliver opened his at-home laptop and plugged in the drive, which asked for an A.R.G.U.S. username and password. Oliver used the ones he had been assigned as an A.R.G.U.S. asset and it was accepted. A familiar list of names began to appear, with details of the person’s wrong-doings. Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he realized Waller’s play. The united heroes of Earth-Prime were seen in a golden light right now and, for many of them, had always been seen that way. But he was different; he had always been different. It hadn’t been some world-ending threat or super-powered fiends rampaging throughout his city that had driven him to pick up the bow. It had been the pain and suffering of the poor and disenfranchised as a powerful elite pressed down on their throats with shiny loafers.

Oliver leaned back in his armchair, a flat expression and a dark tint to his eyes as he considered his options. As he did this, he received a text from Barry. The newly-named Justice League was having a meeting at the Hall of Justice tomorrow, and Oliver technically had a seat on the council as the one who had really started it all, even if Superman and Batman had been active at the time. The irony of this moment was not lost on Oliver; no, two paths had been set before him, and he could only travel down one of them. One led to being accepted as a hero alongside the likes of Superman and The Flash, the other leading to his focus returning to helping the little guy.

Oliver ejected the flash drive and pocketed it, closing his laptop and standing. Oliver walked swiftly out of his study and found Thea and Roy approaching, both looking concerned. “Hey, we saw those government SUVs leaving,” Thea said as she approached her brother, concern etched in her features as she studied his impassive expression. “What happened?”

“Nothing that didn’t need to happen, Speedy,” Oliver replied. “I’m going to be out all night. Don’t let me stop you two from celebrating.” He smiled at them as he turned and walked backwards. “I am so happy for the both of you.”

“Ollie, something _is_ wrong,” Thea said forcefully. “What is it?”

“Just got a blast from the past is all,” Oliver said and continued on his way. “I’m fine, Thea. Just need to check on some things. I’ll be out of town tomorrow for a meeting with the Justice League’s council. Can you cover at Queen Consolidated?”

“Sure,” Thea said, and watched as her brother left through the front door before turning to face Roy, who was looking troubled. “I don’t like this, Roy. If that was who I think it was, she probably messed with his head somehow.”

“Then we call the one person who can set him straight,” Roy said.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver was seated in front of the computer bank in the Bunker, eyes narrowing further and further as he independently confirmed everything he had seen in Waller’s flash drive. This new world was more different than he had first conceived. On the one hand, he had never had to work for the S.C.P.D. since he had never went to prison for his work as a vigilante. On the other, he had focused on all crimes except white collar ones; in fact, he had practically excluded white collar crime from his focus after his first year on the job. A search of online forums surrounding the Justice League and its members revealed that many wondered why he had turned a blind eye to corruption in corporations, many blaming his taking the role of C.E.O. of Queen Consolidated for this change of pace after his identity was revealed.

Oliver felt sick to his stomach. So many of those he had taken down in that first year, even here on Earth-Prime, had resurfaced in the years following his change of modus operandi, taking solace in the fact that the Arrow and later the Green Arrow ignored their actions. Even worse, some of the few he had taken aim at as the Arrow and Green Arrow, including James Midas, had never faced justice because of his blind focus on the Big Bads that targeted his city. So much was different, and yet so much was the same. He had lost sight of his original mission, no matter what reasons there were on either Earth-1 or Earth-Prime. _What have I done?_ He asked himself. _More importantly, what am I going to do?_

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver was still troubled by his discoveries the next morning, though he didn’t let it show, as Laurel arrived at the Bunker. The two of them would be heading to Central City via a transmat portal that had been installed in the Bunker by Qerl Dox and Cisco. “Hey, Ollie,” she said, greeting him with a kiss. He bestowed a perfunctory kiss on her, and her brow furrowed. “Is everything okay? You’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?”

“No, no,” Oliver said instantly. “I just have a lot on my mind. For example, I don’t even know what this meeting is supposed to be about. I kind of missed the founding meeting.”

“We’re going to talk about finding others like us, how to organize, what we will and won’t get involved in, that sort of thing,” Laurel replied, remembering some of the talk from the previous meeting, which had also served as a memorial service for Oliver. “Bit dry, but it’s needed.” Oliver hummed noncommittally in response, deciding he would wait until he heard exactly what was being proposed by the members of the Justice League Council before he made any decisions. The two approached the transmat portal and Oliver keyed in the coordinates for the Hall of Justice.

Stepping through, Oliver and Laurel found they were the first to arrive. Oliver took note of the table with the giant star on it, but his attention was drawn to the memorial wall, where his uniform from the Crisis was resting, a memorial fire in the shape of an arrowhead resting before it. Oliver stood a few feet away from the memorial flame and considered what this meant. Did his sacrifice and what he had done truly mean anything to the Justice League or was this their way of assuaging their guilt for treating him so badly over the years? Oh, yes, he had been aware of Kara’s not-so-nice opinion of him and the way that Barry’s stepfather/father-in-law called him ‘that crazy man’. He just hadn’t cared. He supposed having two sets of memories (one from their original Earth and one from Earth-Prime) might’ve caused others to consider themselves closer to him than they had been.

“Ollie, what’s going through your head?” Laurel asked softly as she took his hand in hers, staring at the memorial fire and the suit that lay beyond it. She had thought this would be all she had to remember Oliver by only a week ago, and now she was standing here with him.

“I guess I find it funny that I was accorded such a place of honor,” Oliver replied. “Star City saw me as a criminal for so long. I have always been the darkness to Barry’s light, as Batman is to Superman’s. Half the Justice League tolerated me or saw me as a criminal to be hunted down, at least in the beginning, before we came to have a mutual respect. I can’t help but think this was erected out of misplaced guilt, if anything.” Oliver turned back to continue to observe the memorial. What he didn’t say was that he found it hilarious that he was given a memorial by people who degraded his tactics due to their ‘moral high ground’.

Laurel was silent as Oliver explained his position and she found herself conflicted. She knew that she and Sara had pushed for the memorial (once Sara had gotten over the fact that Oliver was gone but she had her sister and father back), as had Barry, but when she thought about it the others had seemed to think of it as appropriate but hadn’t expressed a strong desire to honor Oliver one way or another. It was a difficult realization to come to. Laurel squeezed Oliver’s hand and she whispered, “Well, I’m happy you’re alive, and so are Sara and Barry. Who cares what the others think?” Oliver didn’t answer, and Laurel stood silently with him, a support pillar as he contemplated things he had never had to contemplate before due to the fact that the universes had combined into one.

Within a half-hour, the rest of the Council had arrived, and Oliver examined them. Batman and Batwoman were both here, as were both Supergirl and Superman. Sara and Ray had also arrived. J’onn J’onzz was the last one Oliver recognized personally, though his new memories indicated the last man was Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning. Oliver and Laurel took their own seats. Oliver took note of those who came wearing their uniforms rather than their civilian identities. Unsurprisingly, Barry, Sara, and Ray were all in their civvies along with John Jones (as Oliver’s memories indicated he preferred to be called); Black Lightning, the Super cousins, and the Bat cousins were all in uniform even though everyone here knew their identities. Oliver mentally chuckled at that. The Justice League was meant to be a beacon of hope, the way Laurel talked about it, but who could inspire hope by hiding away in the shadows?

“First off, I think we should welcome Oliver,” Barry said as he opened the meeting. “Without him, none of this would be here.” Nods of welcome circled the table. Oliver nodded back but said nothing. Instead, he remained as he had been since he took his seat, one leg crossed over the other, one hand reaching up to brush his goatee, eyes slightly narrowed in thought. Barry, familiar with his friend’s tendency towards brooding, decided it was best to continue. “Alright, first on the agenda. We know there are going to be others like us out there now that the Earths have merged, and we need to find these people, talk to them about joining the Justice League. It’s best if we’re organized for the next crisis point the world faces.”

“An interesting thought,” Superman said, leaning back in his seat. “I’ve already been hearing rumors about a woman in London with some kind of golden lasso, and about a man in Amnesty Bay who can command the ocean. Where those two are, there are sure to be others. But as much as I appreciate your zeal, Barry, we shouldn’t pressure anyone into joining the Justice League. Every person who does what we do does so for different reasons.”

“ **I would prefer they were all here, where we could keep an eye on them and on what they do,** ” Batman said gruffly, his modulator keeping his voice hidden even though he knew damn well that everyone present already knew that he was Bruce Wayne. His paranoia simply wouldn’t allow him to go to a meeting with such disparate minds as this without his suit, just in case something happened. “ **The more hands we have on deck during the next crisis point, as Flash calls it, the better.** ”

“Regardless of their own thoughts on the matter?” Laurel asked with a quirked eyebrow. Oliver remained silent, observing the meeting in silence.

“ **The only ones who wouldn’t want to help save the world when its called for are those seeking glory, and even those might be inclined to help save the world for their ego boost,** ” Batman replied coolly. Oliver’s memories reminded him that on this Earth, Laurel had had training from numerous masters, including Batman, and she had mentioned they had certain philosophical differences.

“We have to be careful to not become too like A.R.G.U.S. or the D.E.O.,” J’onn said, having taken his natural Martian form for this meeting rather than his human disguise. “It is a fine line between seeking knowledge and forcing registration upon those who do not deserve such harassment.”

“As it is, the government is preparing to roll out a new policy,” Superman said. “They’re calling it the Metahuman Registration Act, and it will cause the formation of the Department of Metahuman Affairs. We don’t need to do the government’s job for them.”

“Interesting,” Oliver mused to himself. “But is it for the protection of metahumans, or the exploitation of them? I doubt I need to remind those around the table what happened in the last century when it was decided certain people needed to be ‘properly registered’.”

“This is nothing like that, Oliver,” Superman replied, “though I can understand your concern.”

“Maybe what we should do is simply approach these people and offer them a place with the Justice League, explaining that it isn’t about giving up their own missions?” Kara asked. “I mean, I’m still doing what I started out doing. So is everyone else.” Once more, Oliver kept silent. He felt he needed a better grasp of the feeling around the table before he made any decisions.

“A good idea, Kara,” Barry said. “To be honest, this is probably going to be a headline topic for our meetings going forward, so let’s table it for now. We can all think it over and talk about it during the next meeting. Okay, this next topic is gonna be hard on all of us. What we get involved in. As far as our individual missions, those are what make us who we are, so we’re not gonna touch them. But where do we draw the line as to what we, as an organization, are asked to do? The United Nations is already asking for us to charter with them.”

“Ignore that request,” Oliver said calmly, drawing attention to him. “It will turn the Justice League into a political entity, an arm of the United Nations, nothing more. More importantly, they will try to limit what the Justice League can do if you sign a charter with them; the same goes for any political entity that offers such an alliance.”

“But that’s what heroes do, Oliver,” Barry said. “We work within the confines of the law, working with the police to bring criminals to justice. It’s what you’ve done all these years.”

“Hero,” Oliver mused to himself. “A fine term, one thrown around by pundits, politicians, and the press. But it’s a lie that we tell ourselves so we can sleep at night. The policeman who stops a serial killer from taking another life? That’s a hero. The fireman who risks the flames to save an innocent child? That’s a hero. A person who hides their true identity while fighting crime, even if those they fight over to the police for due process? That is a vigilante.”

“I don’t know if I would go that far…” Superman began.

“When was the last time you gave testimony on the stand, _Mr. Kent_?” Oliver returned icily. Superman flinched back. “A hero can take the stand and testify against those who they’ve helped apprehend.” Oliver paused for a moment. “I can do this and have done it in the past, at least in this new timeline. Yet even now, I won’t accept the title of hero because that is not what I am. What I am is a survivor who kept his sanity for five years with one thought, one goal… that every last person who profited from the suffering of others in my city would wish that I had died on Lian Yu.”

“But you moved on from that, you grew as a person and a hero,” Kara said.

“And in return the poor and disenfranchised of my city continue to suffer under the yoke of their supposed betters, a criminal elite who do not care who they hurt, so long as they maintain their wealth and power,” Oliver replied coldly. “I had my eyes opened to this last night, and it has made me realize that I have failed my city. I came here as a courtesy and to see what plans you had for this new venture. In the end, you can choose to do what you wish. But you will do it without me. For too long, I’ve allowed ‘Big Bads’ and world-ending threats to distract me from my original mission, a mission I abandoned in an act of cowardice, hiding behind the memory of a deceased friend.” Oliver stood. “The Justice League can do what one person alone cannot. You can face the world-ending threats. You can face alien invasions, Crisis after Crisis, extra-dimensional beings with powers beyond imagining. But in all of that, you forget those caught in the crossfire, as I did. Well, no more. No more will I forget those who suffer. I do wish you all the best in your endeavor. But the Green Arrow will never be a part of the Justice League.”

Oliver turned and left a stunned group behind him as he made his way to the transmat portal and keyed in the coordinates for the Bunker. It was time to get back to basics.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver sat at the computers in the Bunker, looking over the information that a worm he had deployed during the night had dug up on James Midas. He wasn’t interested in Midas’ crimes; the files he had received from Waller had certainly provided all the evidence he needed on _that_ front. No, what he was interested in was Midas himself: his connections, his schedule, everything he needed to know what he was dealing with. So far, it wasn’t looking too good. Like on Earth-1, Midas had very close ties to Councilwoman Pollard, and she was sure to try and use this to turn people against the Green Arrow. Which meant Oliver also needed to provide proof of Midas selling ‘special bullets’ to terrorists, gangs, and the like.

Oliver barely looked up as he heard the transmat portal open, signaling Laurel’s return from the Justice League Council meeting. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how offended were they when I left?” he asked evenly.

“I wouldn’t say they were offended, more like hurt,” Laurel said softly as she took the steps quickly. “They were counting on you being one of us. You’re the most visible and well-known hero. People look up to you. It would’ve helped to convince others to join.”

“And that’s why I left, beyond what I said at the meeting,” Oliver said quietly. “For too long, I’ve let myself be the wrong kind of symbol, used to prop up a corrupt society. I won’t let that be my legacy, Laurel. I don’t care if I’m hunted again; I know this city better than those fools in the police department. They’ll never catch me. And even if they do, I have an ace up my sleeve. Someone very powerful _wants_ me to do this. They’re not going to let me go to prison.”

“It’s Waller, isn’t it?” Laurel asked. “That’s who came to see you last night.” Oliver nodded. “Ollie, you know how vile that woman is.”

“Doesn’t mean that she’s wrong about me,” Oliver replied. “I’m not asking you to do this with me, Laurel.”

Laurel shook her head. “If you think I’m letting the man that I love do this alone, you don’t know me very well at all,” she said. “Now tell me what’s going on.” Oliver smiled softly and turned his seat around as Laurel came to stand at his shoulder to examine what he had brought up.

**_*DC*_ **

James Midas was quite pleased with how productive the day’s meetings had gone. He had had meetings with representatives from the legitimate arms of several organizations that preferred _extreme_ weaponry throughout the day and secured an armament deal with each of them for the next six months. His company profits were going to be soaring because if there was one thing those groups always needed, it was serious hardware to compete with the likes of the military or even A.R.G.U.S. Perhaps the biggest net benefit had been a deal with the remnants of H.I.V.E., a contract to supply them with specialized ammunition for the next two years. The representative Midas had dealt with, Ruve Adams, was quite stunning for a lady in their age bracket, and ruthless to boot. Combined with the fact he had not once been visited by the vigilante despite all his underhanded dealings, and Midas was feeling damn good about himself. 

Because of this, the last thing on Midas’ mind as he exited his corporate office building, security detail in tow, and headed towards the motorcade was the possibility of a visit from the Green Arrow and Black Canary, who had stayed away from men like him for years. The first sign of trouble was the high-pitched scream that resonated from the Black Canary aimed at his men, causing his men to cover their ears before they were blown off of their feet before they were tied up with bolo arrows. Midas raced back towards his office building, fingers plugging his ears, only to scream as an arrow pierced through his leg, bringing him down. The Green Arrow landed in a crouch after having leaped off of his perch on one of the motorcade vehicles and approached Midas steadily, the Black Canary joining him as she finished off delivering debilitating blows to Midas’ security detail who had evaded the initial attack. 

“ **James Midas,** ” Green Arrow began, nocking another arrow. 

“ _You’ve failed this city,_ ” Black Canary finished, twirling her eskrima sticks leisurely. 

“You can’t just attack me!” Midas sputtered, one hand trying to reach the arrow. “I’m an important man in this city! I have friends in high places!” 

“ **So did Malcolm Merlyn, who was one of the most important people in the city aside from the mayor and city council,** ” the Arrow replied coldly. “ **That didn’t stop me.** ” The Arrow fired his nocked arrow, pinning Midas’ outstretched hand to his knee. Midas screamed in agony. “ **You’ve sold specialized ammunition to Al Qaeda, Hamas, Iran, North Korea, and H.I.V.E. Do you deny this, Midas?** ” 

“Go screw yourself!” Midas half-screamed, half-sobbed. “The both of you!” 

“ _Ah, I don’t think he likes us,_ ” Black Canary said mockingly. “ _Maybe he needs a little_ kiss _?_ ” Black Canary blew a kiss with her power, causing Midas to curl in on himself for a moment. “ _My friend asked you a question._ ” 

“ _Yes_! I did it, alright? I sold weapons to all those groups, just like I sell weapons to armies,” Midas spat. “War is how the world advances, or didn’t you pay attention in history class? That’s the only way things get done, is some poor bastard ordering the deaths of a bunch of others. Men like me are a dime a dozen! You can take me down, and three more just like me are waiting in the wings.” Midas shifted as best he could to glare up at the vigilantes. “Why not deal with the devil you know?” 

“ **Because I’m not someone who can be bought off or reasoned with,** ” Green Arrow replied coldly, nocking another arrow. “ **You’re responsible for the deaths of thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians over the past two decades. You’ve not just failed this city. You’ve failed this world, and it’ll be better off without you in it.** ” 

“What?” Midas choked as Green Arrow took aim, not seeing Black Canary shoot a surprised look at the other hero. “Wait, wait, I can offer you more than-” Midas was cut off as Green Arrow’s namesake struck him in the throat. He fell backwards, boneless, as blood began pooling around his body. 

“ _I thought we were just going to scare him,_ ” Black Canary said quietly.

“ **There are some in this world who deal only in extremes, and it is naïve to believe that anything but extreme measures will stop them,** ” Green Arrow replied coolly. “ **I told you I was going back to the original mission. What did you expect?** ” Green Arrow pulled out a USB, which he had copied the information Waller had given him about Midas onto, and placed it on Midas’ chest, wrapped in a note. “ **Time to go.** ”

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver hung up his bow, feeling Laurel’s gaze on him. “It’s not that I can’t feel your anger, Laurel,” Oliver said quietly. “It’s that I don’t care about the reason it’s there. You know what my original mission was. Midas is just like Claybourne and Mueller and all the others I killed. He not only has high-powered friends in Star City, but in Congress. He would never have faced justice.”

“I would’ve still appreciated the heads-up,” Laurel snapped at him. “I’ve managed to avoid becoming an accomplice to murder, Ollie, and you ended that tonight.”

“Again, you knew damn well what my standards were back then,” Oliver replied. “I even told you I wasn’t expecting you to join me. You came with me, knowing full well what I might do. You were thinking I’m still the same man you remember from before you died on Earth-1, or the same man I’ve been for six years here on Earth-Prime.” Oliver sighed. “I guess this is where we end things again. Because I’m not going to stop making sure these people face justice; I may not kill all of them, but I will leave them suffering the way they’ve left others to suffer.”

Laurel sighed and came up to him. “No, Ollie,” she said firmly. “I’m not letting you get away from me again. I know you only kill in extreme situations. I guess its just been so long that I just… reacted. But nothing has changed for me. I still love you. I just don’t want to have to visit you in prison.”

“And I have no desire to _go_ to prison,” Oliver said, adding ‘again’ silently since in this timeline he had never been put behind bars. “But like I said, Waller has a use for me outside of being on the Suicide Squad. She needs someone to point to as an example to keep the Squad a thing. So long as she needs that…”

“You’re safe,” Laurel said. Oliver nodded. “Well, I guess we better prepare for the storm that’s coming tomorrow.” It wouldn’t just be coming from the police and the press, both knew; it would come from the Justice League, too. Or at least some of them.

**_*DC*_ **

As it turned out, the storm that they feared didn’t come. The evidence on the USB firmly revealed Midas had had terrorist connections, which made it a federal matter, and the agents in charge deigned not to press charges against the Green Arrow for bringing down a man who supplied terrorists with weapons. The police, as a result, couldn’t make a move no matter how much Pollard railed at them to do something about ‘that damned vigilante’, that is until _she_ came under investigation seeing as she had been such good friends with the late Mr. Midas. As for the press? Well, it depended on who you asked.

The _Daily Star_ ran with the headline _Green Arrow Kills Again_ and went on to explain the circumstances under which Green Arrow had killed, complete with a quote from Oliver himself.

Channel 52’s Susan Williams had applauded the downfall of a man who provided weapons to terrorists but questioned the sudden return to form from the Green Arrow, who had avoided killing for six years.

The _Daily Planet_ had a scathing article from Clark Kent which Oliver duly ignored. The big boy scout could come talk to him if he had a disagreement. He duly ignored the similar article from Kara Danvers in CatCo Magazine. Though Oliver did make a note to talk to a certain fellow billionaire about acquiring a special item since he was now firmly on the Super cousins’ radar.

Oliver observed all of this from the Bunker, feeling a sense of relief before he heard the crackle of electricity and the whoosh of air. “Come to bring me in?” Oliver asked quietly. “Considering the government itself hasn’t charged me with anything, but in fact thanked me, I doubt you’ll find a court in the country that will take the case.”

“I’m not here to arrest you, man,” Barry said quietly. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay, and that you’re really you. Yesterday at the meeting, then your going after Midas… You’re not acting like yourself.”

“No, Barry,” Oliver said quietly, turning to face his friend. “I’m finally acting like myself again. You and I both know that what was created with Earth-Prime isn’t the real me. I didn’t stop killing completely like I did on this new Earth. That was my wish for my legacy since I didn’t expect to survive. But now I have survived, and I was shown that everything I did that first year was for nothing.”

“Who showed you this?” Barry asked.

“Waller,” Oliver replied. “I went home two nights ago and found her waiting for me. She gave me a USB with all the data on it I needed to realize the truth. I have failed my city by trying to be something that I am not, Barry. I won’t let that failure be my legacy.” Oliver tilted his head. “Oh, and you can tell Clark and Kara that their articles don’t do anything but show their cowardice. They should have left well-enough alone. Now it’s my turn.”

“What do you mean? What are you going to do?” Barry demanded to know.

Oliver smiled coldly. “Something they should’ve done themselves.”

The next day had new headlines from papers across the country and across television screens everywhere exposing the identities of the Kryptonian cousins as Clark Kent and Kara Danvers, who were summarily fired from their jobs as reporters for the _Daily Planet_ and CatCo Magazine for using the papers to pursue their own vendettas.

Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance continued to protect the city as Green Arrow and Black Canary for years to come. The wedding of this power couple in Star City (vigilantes by night, D.A. and C.E.O. by day) saw quite the turnout. Oliver continued to take down both corporate scum who sought to profit from the suffering of others and those who set their sights on Star City for one reason or another. The sound of a bow being fired and an arrow whistling through the air became synonymous with hope for the disenfranchised and downtrodden while also becoming synonymous with fear and mind-numbing terror for those who profited from the suffering of others and who believed Star City was theirs for the taking.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope those who read this story on FFN enjoyed re-reading it, and those who have never read it before found it enjoyable.
> 
> Those who have read “The Ripple Effect” will recognize the Midas scene as being adapted from that story.
> 
> Now, I included the following rant in the first chapter of this story over on FFN, and I decided to include it here for the sake of posterity and to give readers who don’t know the elements behind this story’s creation an idea of what was going through my mind when I first sat down to write “The Green Arrow Returns”, with some minor alterations for clarification:
> 
> What the FUCK were the writers thinking with that blatantly Olicity-shilling, Black Canary-hating, and ‘the fans are too fucking stupid to think for themselves’ contrived bullshit series retcon they pulled in the finale? First off, there’s no way there’s gonna be twenty years of NO CRIME in Star City, regardless of Oliver’s sacrifice in Crisis. Evil NEVER DIES, it simply changes form. Hell, Byrne popping up and kidnapping William is fucking PROOF that evil will never end and the city will always need its heroes.
> 
> Second, Guggenheim’s pander-scent was all over this finale with Earth-Prime Laurel remaining dead and them keeping Earth-2 Laurel. It makes NO FUCKING SENSE and it was clearly contrived because they knew Earth-Prime Laurel, if she were made Black Canary, would never go to the future but remain in her own time to fight corruption there. As I expected, everyone but Laurel gets a second chance since they even brought Moira and Tommy back to life. Hell, I’d bet Samantha is alive and has custody of William since Oliver would want his son safe and happy in this new world.
> 
> Third, the pander-scent continued with the fact that the Felicity from the timeline that GOT ERASED FROM EXISTENCE ALONG WITH ALL OF EARTH-1 showed up in the afterlife where Oliver was supposedly finally at peace. That entire scene was the worst kind of shilling I have ever seen in all my years watching television and proved without a doubt that the Arrowverse is not about superheroes, it’s about relationships and who is fucking who. Fuck that.
> 
> Fourth, some people might wonder what I mean when I say ‘Black Canary-hating’. I’ll explain. In 8x09 (the backdoor pilot for the spin-off that I’m hoping is not green-lit), Dinah Drake says she found no trace of herself or Black Canary in history. Meaning BLACK CANARY altogether didn’t exist. This was further cemented by the revelation that Earth-Prime Laurel (who was probably still killed by Darhk to punish Quentin) was married to Tommy, implying she was more interested in settling down rather than ensuring justice was done by any means necessary. Obviously, I have changed this nonsense in this story.
> 
> Okay, I think I got everything off my chest. Others have already addressed whether Diggle can safely call himself Oliver’s brother (I think Barry deserves that title more).


End file.
